IAKING  A  POULTRY  HOUSE 


UC-NRLF 


MBb 


OBERTS^ONOVER 


MAKING  A 
POULTRY  HOUSE 


THE 

HOUSE  &  GARDEN 
MAKING 

BOOKS 

IT  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  to  make 
this  series  of  little  volumes,  of  which  Making 
a  Poultry  House  is  one,  a  complete  library  of 
authoritative  and  well  illustrated  handbooks 
dealing  with  the  activities  of  the  home-maker 
and  amateur  gardener.  Text,  pictures  and 
diagrams  will,  in  each  respective  book,  aim  to 
make  perfectly  clear  the  possibility  of  having, 
and  the  means  of  having,  some  of  the  more 
important  features  of  a  modern  country  or 
suburban  home.  Among  the  titles  already 
issued  or  planned  for  early  publication  are  the 
following:  Making  a  Rose  Garden;  Making  a 
Lawn;  Making  a  Tennis  Court;  Making  a  Fire- 
place; Making  Paths  and  Driveways;  Making 
a  Rock  Garden;  Making  a  Garden  with  Hotbed 
and  Goldframe;  Making  Built-in  Bookcases, 
Shelves  and  Seats;  Making  a  Garden  to  Bloom 
TJiis  Year;  Making  a  Water  Garden;  Making 
a  Garden  of  Perennials;  Making  the  Grounds 
Attractive  with  Shrubbery;  Making  a  Natural- 
ized Bulb  Garden;  with  others  to  be  announced 
later. 


MAKING  A 
POULTRY  HOUSE 

By  M.  ROBERTS  CONOVER 


NEW    YORK 

McBRIDE,   NAST  &  COMPANY 
1912 


c 


COPYRIGHT,  1912,  BY 
McBRIDE,  NAST  &  CO. 


Published  May,  1912 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 1 

SPECIFIC  SUGGESTIONS  FOB  HOUSES      .       7 
FLOORS  AND  FOUNDATIONS    .         .         .23 

THE  ROOF 28 

WALLS,  WINDOWS  AND  VENTILATION  .     33 
THE  DOOR  OF  THE  POULTRY  HOUSE    .     40 
NESTS  AND  ROOSTS        .        .        .        .43 

THE  RUN        ......     50 

SOME  HINTS  ON  UPKEEP       .         .         .52 


252731 


THE    ILLUSTRATIONS 

UNSANITARY  HOUSING  MUST  GIVE  WAY 
TO  MODERN  METHODS         .         Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

A   COLONY   HOUSE    RECOMMENDED   BY 
THE    OREGON   EXPERIMENT    STATION     12 

Two    PORTABLE     COLONY    HOUSES 
ADAPTABLE  FOR  THE  HOME  FLOCK  .     16 

BROOD  HOUSES  FOR  THE  YOUNG  BIRDS     20 
FLOORS  OF  EARTH  AND  OF  WOOD         .     26 

THE  SINGLE-PITCH  ROOF   IN   A   SERIES 
OF  CONNECTED  HOUSES      .         .         .30 

A    COMBINED    POULTRY    HOUSE    AND 
PIGEON  LOFT 38 

ALFALFA  UNDER  NETTING  IN  THE  RUN     46 
A  SIMPLE  FORM  OF  TRAP  NEST  .  46 


Making  a  Poultry  House 

INTRODUCTION 

rTl  O  close  one's  eyes  and  dream  of  a  home 
in  the  country  with  its  lawns,  its  gar- 
dens, its  flowers,  its  songs  of  birds  and 
drone  of  bees,  proves  the  sentimental  in 
man,  but  he  is  not  practical  who  cannot 
call  into  fancy's  realm  the  cackle  of  the 
hen. 

Having  conceded  her  a  legitimate  place 
in  the  scheme  of  the  country  home,  good 
housing  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  and 
it  is  in  regard  to  this  that  one  easily  blun- 
ders. Few  would  idealize  a  rickety  hovel 
as  a  home  for  the  flock,  but  many  of  us, 
while  we  would  not  put  our  highly  prized 
birds  into  an  airtight  box,  so  over-house 


2v  _    Making  ^a  Poultry  House 

them  tha£  tHey*  weaken  instead  of  profiting 
by  our  care. 

That  the  poultry  house  is  yet  in  an 
evolutionary  stage,  all  must  admit,  but  no 
one  can  deny  that  great  strides  have  been 
made  since  the  once  neglected  barnyard 
fowl  has  come  to  be  known  as  a  very  un- 
derstandable and  responsive  creature,  to 
be  dealt  with  on  common-sense  grounds. 

Only  that  poultry  house  is  a  good  shel- 
ter which  in  winter  conserves  as  much 
warmth  as  possible,  and  yet  permits  an 
abundance  of  fresh  air ;  that  admits  sun- 
light, and  yet  in  summer  is  cool.  Such  a 
building  must  offer  no  hospitality  to  other 
than  poultry  life,  and  it  must  be  con- 
structed in  line  with  the  economic  value  of 
its  residents.  In  short,  the  structure 
must  be  so  contrived  as  to  guard  against 
drafts,  dampness,  disease,  and  vermin,  to 
insure  a  profitable  result.  A  maximum  of 


Introduction  3 

comfort  with  a  minimum  of  risk  insures 
healthy  poultry. 

The  location  of  the  poultry  house  has 
an  important  bearing  upon  the  style  of 
the  building.  It  is  better  to  put  the 
building  where  the  land  will  slope  away 
from,  rather  than  toward,  it.  A  large 
and  durable  poultry  house  was  recently 
built  and  afterwards  condemned  by  its 
owners  as  damp.  The  land  sloped  slightly 
towards  the  building,  but  sufficiently  to 
convey  all  surface  water  towards  it,  mak- 
ing its  earth  floor  always  damp  in  wet 
weather.  If  no  other  site  can  be  secured, 
then  it  is  better  to  mount  the  building  on 
posts  rather  than  on  the  ordinary  founda- 
tion. If  one  has  room  enough  to  consider 
the  kind  of  soil,  sand  is  best,  as  it  dries 
quick1/,  and  the  runs — one  can  scarcely 
consider  the  building  without  runs — can 
be  kept  much  cleaner. 


4         Making  a  Poultry  House 

A  windbreak  of  some  kind  on  the  cold 
side  of  the  building  is  a  decided  advantage 
— a  wall,  an  evergreen  hedge,  a  grove,  or 
other  buildings,  will  protect  the  poultry 
house,  and,  perhaps,  also  a  portion  of  the 
runs,  with  benefit  to  the  poultry. 

In  that  the  family  flock  may  range  in 
size  from  half  a  dozen  to  fifty  or  seventy- 
five  fowls,  the  size  of  the  building,  and 
even  its  style,  must  vary  to  suit  one's 
needs.  A  small  coop,  almost  square,  may 
house  your  flock  of  eight  or  ten,  but  the 
larger  flock  requires  a  house  longer  and 
higher,  with  more  ample  ventilation. 

Ventilation  by  means  of  the  canvas  or 
burlap  curtain  has  so  simplified  the  fresh- 
air  problem  that  less  building  room  is 
needed  where  sleeping-quarters  alone  are 
considered.  Hence  the  necessary  house 
room  for  hens  depends  upon  the  mode  of 
ventilation. 


Introduction  5 

That  a  large  building  with  no  direct 
ventilation  is  not  so  healthful  for  fowls  as 
a  small  house  that  admits  the  fresh  air  di- 
rect, was  proved  in  the  case  of  a  flock  of 
fowls,  during  the  last  two  winters.  The 
previous  winter  seventy-five  fowls  were 
kept  in  a  large  building  adjoining  a  barn. 
Its  walls  were  thick,  the  place  was  very 
high  and  roomy.  Ventilation  was  given 
through  a  loft.  The  quarters  were  kept 
clean,  and  all  known  rules  of  health  ob- 
served. A  glass  door  was  fitted  into  the 
doorway,  thus  admitting  sunlight  to  a 
small  part  of  the  floor.  Not  a  hen  was 
allowed  to  place  her  fair  foot  upon  the 
cold  snowy  ground.  The  birds  were  taken 
sick  with  catarrhal  troubles  early  in  the 
winter,  and  were  in  an  unpromising  condi- 
tion until  spring.  This  last  winter  the 
birds,  now  forty  in  number,  were  housed  in 
a  seven  by  twelve  building,  seven  feet  high, 


6          Making  a  Poultry  House 

with  two  windows  in  the  front,  each  thirty- 
four  inches  wide  and  twenty-one  inches 
high,  placed  one  foot  below  the  eaves,  and 
one  foot  from  the  sides.  Fresh  air  came 
through  a  canvas  curtain  in  one  window; 
the  other  had  a  glass  sash.  The  birds 
came  through  the  winter  in  fine  condition. 
This  building  would  have  held  the  original 
number,  but  in  that  case  the  burlap  cur- 
tain would  have  been  used  in  the  other  win- 
dow also. 

The  cooping  of  the  young  chicks  must 
be  considered  as  a  problem  somewhat  dis- 
tinct until  they  are  old  enough  to  contend 
with  the  other  fowls  for  their  rights. 

Water-tight  roofs,  walls,  and  floors  are 
essential  to  the  life  and  health  of  the 
birds. 


SPECIFIC  SUGGESTIONS  FOR 
HOUSES 

T  \  7HILE  no  one  style  of  hen  house  can 
meet  all  the  conditions  for  all  local- 
ities, almost  any  good  model  may  be 
adapted  to  almost  any  locality,  or  at  least 
suggest  adaptable  features. 

The  descriptions  of  houses  that  have 
been  adapted  as  here  given  may  easily  sug- 
gest other  modifications. 

A  house  eight  by  seventeen  feet  should 
give  ample  roosting  and  nesting  room  for 
a  flock  of  thirty  or  forty  hens.  One  used 
by  the  author  is  seven  feet  wide,  fifteen 
feet  long,  and  ten  feet  high  from  peak  to 
floor,  and  is  satisfactory  during  spring, 
summer,  and  fall.  In  winter,  however,  a 
scratching-shed  of  equal  area  is  desirable. 


8          Making  a  Poultry  House 

It  need  not  be  higher  than  three  feet.  It 
should  adjoin  the  hennery,  and  a  section 
of  its  roof  should  be  movable  to  allow  a 


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The  front  of  a  house  that  will  shelter  satisfactorily  a 
dozen  fowls 

change  of  litter.     The  sunlight  should  be 
freely  admitted  to  this  through  glass. 

A  small  coop  that  will  house  a  dozen 
fowls,  and  may  be  used  where  one  has  little 
space,  or  is  just  getting  into  poultry 
keeping,  is  eight  feet  long  and  six  feet 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses      9 

deep.  It  has  a  double-pitched  roof,  is 
five  and  one-half  feet  high  from  the  lower 
edges  of  the  roof  to  the  foundation,  and 
seven  from  the  peak  to  the  foundation. 
The  eaves  project  four  inches,  but  in  front 
a  board  eight  inches  wide  is  hinged  to  the 
lower  edge  of  the  eaves.  This  is  swung 
back  and  hooked  against  the  side  of  the 
building  on  sunny  days,  but  in  rainy 
weather  it  is  swung  outward,  thus  extend- 
ing the  roof  eight  inches  to  prevent  the 
rain  from  beating  into  the  muslin-covered 
windows  below.  It  is  held  in  this  posi- 
tion by  brackets  at  either  end,  which  are 
hinged  to  the  building,  and  may  be  turned 
back  against  it  when  not  in  use. 

Two  windows,  two  feet  high  and  three 
feet  wide,  ar  placed  in  the  front,  six  inches 
from  either  side,  thirty-four  inches  from 
the  ground,  and  eight  inches  below  the 
eaves.  Burlap-covered  frames  are  fitted 


io        Making  a  Poultry  House 

to  the  windows,  and  these  swing  inward 
when  necessary,  and  may  be  fastened  by 


The  door  may  be  at  either  end  of  the  building  and  it 
must  be  made  draft -proof 

hooks    suspended    from    the    roof    of   the 
building. 

The  building  has  a  brick  foundation 
and  a  concrete  floor  six  inches  higher  than 
the  surrounding  surface  of  the  ground, 
and  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  founda- 
tion. At  the  rear  are  nests  beneath  the 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses     1 1 

roosts.  These  are  14  in.  long.,  lg  in.  high, 
and  11  in.  wide.  There  are  seven  on  the 
bottom  row  placed  alternately  in  a  length- 
wise and  crosswise  manner,  and  six  above. 
The  lower  nests  are  improvised  from  boxes 
bought  from  a  grocer's  at  five  cents  each, 
and  are  set  upon  a  skeleton  shelf  raised  4 
in.  above  the  floor.  The  upper  nests  are 
likewise  set  upon  a  skeleton  shelf  3  in. 
above  the  first  tier.  The  sides  of  boxes 
are  cut  away  to  5-in.  height  to  allow  the 
hens  room  to  enter  the  nests.  These  nests 
are  accessible  to  the  hens  from  the  front 
and  are  reached  for  egg  collection  by  lift- 
ing a  hinged  door  at  the  back ;  this  door  is 
7  ft.  long,  18  in.  wide,  and  is  12  in.  above 
the  foundation  in  the  rear. 

The  roosts  are  thirty-four  inches  above 
the  floor,  and  run  lengthwise  of  the  house. 
Two  will  accommodate  the  small  flock  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  fowls.  Three  inches  be- 


12        Making  a  Poultry  House 

low  is  the  drop-board  supported  upon 
horizontal  braces.  It  is  in  two  sections, 
and  slides  out  when  desired.  It  is  twenty 
inches  wide,  its  outer  edge  being  even  with 
the  first  roost. 

The  walls  are  covered  with  sheathing  pa- 
per laid  inside  over  the  studs,  and  tongue- 
and-groove  boards  are  nailed  over  this. 
The  outside  is  weather-boarded,  and  the 
roof  covered  with  tarred  paper  over 
boards  laid  closely  together.  A  door  at 
one  end,  26  in.  wide  and  5  ft.  6  in.  high, 
gives  access  to  the  building,  and  a  small 
door,  12  x  12  in.,  sliding  in  grooves,  is 
placed  in  the  front  near  the  floor,  for  the 
use  of  the  fowls. 

This  coop  may  be  modified  to  suit  in- 
dividual preference;  for  instance,  by  giv- 
ing it  a  single-pitched  roof. 

For  the  framework  and  inclosure  these 
v  materials  will  be  required : 


A  portable  colony  house  of  simple  design  rec- 
ommended by  J.  Dryden  and  A.  G.  Lunn  in 
a  bulletin  of  the  Oregon  Experiment  Station 


The   rear   of  the  same  house,  showing  the  ex- 
tension nest  boxes  with  individual  covers 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses    13 

Hemlock  or  spruce  for  sills 

(5x6  in.) 38  lineal  feet 

Hemlock  or  spruce  for  cor- 
ner supports  and  plate 
to  support  rafters  (3  x 

4  in.) 60  lineal  feet 

For  intermediate  supports, 
or  studs,  corner  braces, 

and  rafters  (2  x  4) 120  lineal  feet 

For  the  roof  beneath  the  tarred  paper, 
128  lineal  feet  of  six-inch  boards  will  be 
required,  or  160  feet  of  five-inch  boards; 
400  lineal  feet  of  five-inch  weather  boards 
will  be  required  to  inclose  the  building. 

For  the  window  and  door  casings  50 
lineal  feet  of  suitable  lumber  will  be  re- 
quired, and  60  Uneal  feet  of  five-inch 
tongue-and-groove  boards  for  the  door. 

The  hinged  door  in  the  rear  is  made  of 
the  weather  boards  and  covered  with  tarred 
paper  on  the  inside. 


14        Making  a  Poultry  House 

About  75  square  feet  of  tarred  paper 
will  be  required. 

About  120  sq.  ft.  of  boarding  will  be  re- 
quired for  the  inside. 

Where  circumstances  compel  one  to  use 
a  damp  location,  the  building  must  be  con- 
structed so  as  to  meet  these  conditions. 
Foundations  of  concrete,  brick,  or  stone 
do  not  meet  the  conditions  for  a  dry  floor 
where  one  must  use  a  badly-drained  site. 
In  such  a  case,  the  building  must  be  set 
on  posts.  Short  posts,  only  a  foot  high, 
hardly  answer,  for  debris  may  collect 
thereunder,  and  harbor  wild  animals. 
Three  feet  of  space,  at  least,  should  be 
given  underneath.  Cedar  posts  six  feet 
apart,  sunk  into  the  ground  to  a  depth  of 
three  and  one-half  or  four  feet,  a  foot  of 
concrete  being  first  poured  into  the 
hole,  will  insure  a  firm  support. 

The  back  and  sides  of  this  open  space 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses     15 

may  be  inclosed  with  boards,  the  open 
front  being  protected  with  heavy,  close- 
meshed  galvanized  poultry  wire,  to  pre- 
vent wild  animals  or  poultry  from  taking 
refuge  underneath.  In  a  very  wet  place, 
however,  I  would  not  inclose  with  boards 
at  all. 

The  floor  of  such  a  building  should  be: 
First,  wide,  rough  boards,  then  rubber 
roofing  laid  over  them,  and  secured  at  all 
joints  to  make  it  moisture-proof,  and  then 
narrow  boards,  tightly  fitted  together. 
This  upper  flooring  should  be  well  seasoned 
and  well  nailed  down. 

A  house  of  this  character,  that  will  hold 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  fowls,  with 
nesting,  scratching,  roosting,  and  sand- 
bath  accommodations,  is  eight  and  one- 
half  feet  deep,  twelve  feet  long,  six  feet 
high  in  back,  and  nine  feet  in  front.  It 
has  the  single-pitched  roof,  shingled.  Its 


1 6        Making  a  Poultry  House 

walls  are  double-boarded,  with  an  inter- 
lining of  sheathing  paper.  In  the  front 
are  two  windows,  six  feet  high  by  three 
and  one-half  feet  wide.  They  are  fitted 
with  double  sash,  which  can  be  removed 
in  summer.  At  night  these  sash  are  let 
down  from  the  top,  and  a  burlap-covered 
frame  placed  over  the  entire  window,  ad- 
mitting fresh  air  and  preventing  radiation 
of  warmer  air  within  through  the  exposed 
glass. 

For  a  house  in  a  damp  location  the  large 
windows  provide  an  excellent  means  of  in- 
suring dryness  in  winter  if  used  to  trans- 
mit sunlight  during  the  day,  and  covered 
at  night  as  explained  above. 

A  building  that  is  practically  fireproof 
may  be  made  of  cement  blocks  for  founda- 
tion and  walls,  with  a  concrete  floor  six 
inches  higher  than  the  outside  ground. 
Wood  may  be  used  for  the  rafters  and 


One  of  the  Oregon  Station  types  in  which  the 
whole  end  is  of  netting,  covered  with  fabric 
in  cold  weather 


A  colony  house  on  skids,  7  x  12  feet,  as  rec- 
ommended by  the  Oregon  Experiment  Station 
to  accommodate  30  to  40  fowls 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses    17 

ceiling,  the  roof  being  covered  with  metal, 
tile,  or  asbestos  roofing,  and  the  inside  ceil- 
ing plastered. 

Another  building  which  will  provide  sev- 
enty-five or  one  hundred  fowls  with  roost- 
ing, scratching,  and  nesting-room  in  the 
winter,  when  foul  weather  makes  confine- 
ment necessary,  is  twenty  feet  long,  twelve 
feet  deep,  six  feet  high  in  the  rear,  and 
ten  feet  high  in  front.  It  has  a  brick 
foundation  and  a  concrete  floor  that  is 
ten  inches  above  the  level  of  the  ground 
at  the  front  of  the  building,  in  order  to 
bring  it  well  above  the  surface  of  the 
ground  in  the  rear — the  site  is  a  sloping 
one. 

In  the  front  are  three  windows,  one  foot 
from  the  sides  of  the  building,  one  foot 
below  the  top,  and  one  foot  apart.  They 
are  five  feet  four  inches  wide,  three  and 
one-half  feet  high,  and  fitted  with  burlap- 


1 8        Making  a  Poultry  House 

covered  frames,  which  may  be  lifted  and 
fastened  against  the  ceiling  when  so  de- 
sired. Weather  boards,  sheathing  paper, 


f 


*»/• 

-  ZO  - 


Him  i.l i  in: 


Plan  of  a  house  to  give  roosting,  scratching  and 
nesting  accommodations  to  seventy -five  or  a  hun- 
dred fowls 

and  narrow  boards  on  the  inside  form  the 
walls. 

Directly  in  front,  and  extending  the 
length  of  the  building,  is  a  glass-inclosed 
sun  room  four  feet  high  and  five  feet  wide. 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses     19 

One  end  of  this  has  a  door  to  allow  for 
the  cleaning  of  the  floor.  The  concrete 
floor  of  the  main  room  extends  into  the 
sun  room.  Three  openings,  ten  inches 
wide  and  one  foot  high,  connect  this  sun 
room  with  the  main  room,  and  are  pro- 
vided with  slides  to  be  closed  at  night 
when  the  sun  room  is  no  longer  a  warm 
place. 

The  roosts  are  in  the  rear  and  extend 
the  entire  length  of  the  building.  There 
are  three,  placed  four  feet  above  the 
ground  floor.  These  roosts  are  remov- 
able, being  set  in  grooves  cut  into  the 
wooden  brackets  which  hoM  them.  A 
hinged  drop-board  in  sections  is  hung  be- 
low the  roosts. 

The  nests  are  forty  in  number  in  two 
tiers,  and  are  fixed  to  the  front  wall  of 
the  building,  below  the  windows.  They 
are  covered  at  the  top,  open  at  the  side, 


2O       Making  a  Poultry  House 

and  have  a  running-board  before  them  one 
foot  wide.  Nests  and  boards  are  sup- 
ported by  stout  wooden  brackets  about 
three  feet  apart.  Nests  and  perches  are 
reached  by  climbing-boards  at  one  end  of 


Cross-section  of  the  house  for  seventy -five  or  a  hun- 
dred fowls,  showing  the  glazed  scratching  shed  on 
the  south  front 

the  room.  The  door  is  placed  at  the  op- 
posite end  of  the  building,  and  is  twenty- 
six  inches  wide  and  six  feet  high.  It  can 
be  made  wider  if  desired,  as  there  is  room. 
The  care  of  the  young  birds  is  greatly 
lightened  by  houses  built  for  them  espe- 
cially. These  need  not  be  large  nor 


Specific  Suggestions  for  Houses    21 

elaborate,  and,  since  they  are  for  use  in 
the  milder  seasons  of  the  year,  do  not  re- 
quire great  precautions  against  the  cold. 

While  the  slant-roofed  colony  coops, 
which  can  be  moved  about,  are  best  for  the 
care  of  large  flocks  of  growing  poultry, 
the  progeny  of  the  small  family  flock  may 
be  conveniently  housed  in  one  long  coop 
divided  into  compartments,  with  separate 
little  pens  before  each  division.  A  coop 
of  this  kind,  six  feet  long,  thirty  inches 
wide,  and  twenty-seven  inches  high,  will 
shelter  seventy-five  young  chicks  very  com- 
fortably from  babyhood  to  large  broiler 
age.  The  floor  should  be  made  light  and 
warm,  and  the  coop  mounted  upon  skids 
or  runners,  so  that  it  may  be  moved  if 
desired.  The  top  of  this  coop  slants  gen- 
tly and  lifts  up  like  a  lid  for  inspection  and 
cleaning,  and  this  top  is  hinged  to  the 
rear  side,  and  covered  with  tarred  paper. 


22        Making  a  Poultry  House 

Since  young  chicks  will  crowd  and 
smother  if  the  air  supply  is  limited,  the 
entire  front  of  the  coop,  to  seven  inches 
above  the  bottom,  is  covered  with  coarse 
muslin  or  sacking  during  spring,  and  with 
galvanized  wire  netting  in  the  summer. 

The  size  of  the  lumber  necessary  for  any 
of  these  buildings  is  about  the  same :  Tim- 
ber for  sills,  5  x  6  in. ;  cross-beams  and 
main  supports,  4  x  3  in. ;  intermediate 
joists,  supports,  and  rafters,  2  x  4  in. ; 
and  for  weather  boards  and  floor  boards, 
any  convenient  width. 

Well-seasoned  lumber  should  be  used, 
and  should  be  first-class  of  its  kind.  Sec- 
ond-grade material  may  be  used  for  the 
wood-house,  but  faulty  building  of  the 
poultry  house  may  mean  more  in  losses 
from  drafty  floors  or  walls  than  the  sav- 
ing in  the  first  outlay  will  warrant. 


FLOORS  AND  FOUNDATIONS 

PTHHE  floor  of  the  poultry  house  sus- 
tains  as  important  a  relation  to  the 
health  of  the  fowls  as  any  other  part  of 
the  building.  A  cold,  drafty  floor  is  a 
constant  menace,  inducing  catarrhal  af- 
fections, and  a  damp  floor,  with  its  con- 
stant evaporation  of  unwholesome  moist- 
ure, is  equally  unfavorable. 

The  floor  of  the  building  bears  a  close 
relation  to  the  foundation;  indeed,  its 
character  is  actually  determined  by  the 
kind  of  foundation  used.  From  this  rela- 
tion have  developed  three  distinct  styles  of 
flooring:  the  earth  or  cement  floor  with 
brick  or  stone  foundations ;  the  board  floor 
with  a  foundation;  and  the  board  floor 
without  a  foundation,  the  structure  being 

supported  on  posts. 
23 


24       Making  a  Poultry  House 

Any  one  of  these  can  be  made  a  success 
if  its  peculiar  requirements  are  complied 
with. 

The  board  floor  with  a  foundation 
makes  a  warm  floor,  but  it  is  not  durable 
over  a  perfectly  tight  foundation,  which 
tends  to  induce  rotting  from  the  damp- 
ness of  the  soil  beneath.  To  insure 
against  this,  openings  should  be  left  in 
either  end  of  the  foundation — openings 
about  the  size  of  a  brick's  end.  In  a  long 
building,  such  openings  should  occur  at 
intervals  of  ten  feet. 

Such  places  are  an  invitation  to  rats, 
however,  and  should  be  securely  protected 
by  heavy,  close-meshed  galvanized  wire,  or 
by  iron  grating. 

The  flooring  must  be  so  tight  as  to  pre- 
vent drafts  coming  up  through  it.  In  the 
case  of  the  board  floor  without  a  founda- 
tion, the  building  rests  upon  posts,  and 


Floors  and  Foundations         25 

some  poultrymen  leave  the  space  beneath 
open  so  that  the  air  sweeps  through  be- 
neath it.  Others  board  up  the  windside. 
Such  buildings  should  never  be  boarded 
all  the  way  around,  however,  as  rats  will 
burrow  beneath  or  gnaw  through,  giving  a 
great  deal  of  trouble. 

Laying  tin  around  the  edges  over  the  in- 
terlining to  a  width  of  about  six  inches, 
letting  it  project  under  the  inner  wall,  and 
meeting  the  outer  wall,  will  prevent  rats 
from  gnawing  into  the  building. 

A  warm  floor  is  secured  by  laying  it 
double  with  an  airtight  interlining  tf  roof- 
ing paper  or  similar  substance.  (For  the 
lower  layer  of  boards,  hemlock  answers 
well.)  Cementing  the  surface  of  the  floor 
gives  a  clean  smooth  surface. 

An  earth  floor  or  one  of  cement  is  cold 
and  damp,  if  lower  or  even  level  with  the 
outside  surface  of  the  ground.  It  should 


26        Making  a  Poultry  House 

be  at  least  six  inches  higher,  and,  to  ren- 
der it  dry,  a  layer  of  stone  several  inches 
deep  should  be  placed  in  beneath  the  six 
inches  of  earth. 

All  floors  must  be  cleaned  frequently, 
fresh  litter  being  placed  in  all  scratching 
rooms,  and  sunlight  be  allowed  to  stream 
in  upon  them. 

Where  an  earth  floor  is  used,  fresh  earth 
or  ashes  must  take  the  place  of  that 
cleared  away  each  day. 

Though  not  of  secondary  importance, 
the  foundation  of  the  poultry  house  is  a 
secondary  consideration,  for  after  one  has 
decided  upon  his  location,  manner  of  build- 
ing, and  the  best  kind  of  floor  for  his  hens 
under  those  conditions,  he  may  come  to  a 
conclusion  about  the  foundation. 

The  brick,  concrete,  or  stone  continu- 
ous foundations  have  such  a  stable  appear- 
ance that,  looks  alone  considered,  they  are 
preferable  to  posts.  Where  brick  or  con- 


An   earth   floor  lower  than  the  outside  surface 
is  cold  and  damp 


The  flooring  must  be  perfectly  tight  to  prevent 
drafts  coming  through  it 


Floors  and  Foundations         27 

crete  posts  are  used,  however,  the  effect  is 
not  unstable. 

On  a  good  building  site,  I  like  the  brick 
or  concrete  foundation,  and  would  have  no 
other.  Under  such  conditions,  it  meets 
the  requirements  of  a  durable  building  for 
fowls. 

The  foundation  of  the  poultry  house 
need  not  be  deeper  than  two  or  two  and 
one-half  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  according  to  the  climate  of  the  lo- 
cality. The  object  is  to  lay  it  below  the 
freezing  point.  It  must  be  high  enough 
to  actually  raise  the  building  above  the 
earth  and  its  dampness.  Where  tlie  soil 
washes  in  around  the  foundation,  gradu- 
ally covering  it  and  partly  burying  the 
wood  above,  it  is  likely  to  cause  the 
weather  boards  to  decay  around  the  base. 

Get  a  man  who  understands  his  job  to 
do  the  work  of  foundation-laying,  else  your 
superstructure  will  suffer. 


THE  ROOF 

fin  HE  roof  of  the  poultry  house  is,  for 
the  average  poultryman,  a  problem 
solved  by  the  state  of  his  pocketbook,  cli- 
mate, and  the  location  of  his  buildings,  as 
well  as  personal  preference. 

The  shape  of  the  roof  may  be  governed 
by  taste,  the  prevailing  type  of  architec- 
ture, etc.,  but  where  the  welfare  of  the 
fowls  themselves  is  jeopardized  by  a  cer- 
tain style,  personal  preference  must  yield 
and  the  health  of  the  birds  themselves 
determine  the  choice. 

Roofs  that  can  be  made  watertight  with 
the  least  difficulty,  which  do  not  overhang 
so  far  as  to  prevent  sunlight  from  enter- 
ing the  windows,  and  which  are  sightly, 

are  the  aim  of  the  average  builder. 

28 


The  Roof  29 

Considered  from  the  point  of  utility 
alone,  the  single-pitched  roof  seems  to  be 
the  most  popular.  It  gives  the  necessary 
watershed  and  interior  room  for  the  least 
amount  of  material. 

While  the  height  of  the  roof  from  the 
floor  should  be  influenced  by  the  other  di- 
mensions of  the  building,  the  fowls  will  do 
as  well  with  a  low-roofed  building  properly 
cleaned  and  ventilated,  as  with  one  of  lofty 
roof,  but  the  inconvenience  of  caring  for 
the  low-roofed  building  must  be  consid- 
ered, and  hence  few  of  us  want  a  roof  lower 
than  six  feet. 

After  one  has  decided  the  form  of  the 
roof,  the  next  point  is  the  material. 

In  counting  the  cost,  one  must  consider 
the  possible  expense  in  keeping  in  repair  a 
roof  cheap  at  the  outset.  Some  roofs  ab- 
sorb the  sun's  rays  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
make  the  building  too  warm.  In  certain 


30       Making  a  Poultry  House 

locations  a  fireproof  roof  is  imperative,  by 
law  or  expediency. 

Wood,  metal,  and  the  tarred  paper  or 
felt  roofing  have  peculiar  qualifications 
which  adapt  them  to  individual  re- 
quirements. The  paper  or  felt  roofings 
appeal  to  a  great  many  people,  as  the 
work  of  applying  the  material  can  be  done 
by  an  amateur.  These  roofings  are  laid 
on  over  boards  and  secured  in  position  by 
nails,  the  joinings  being  made  watertight 
with  cement.  Pliant  roofings  should  be 
turned  well  over  the  edges  of  the  roof  and 
fastened  securely.  Allowance  for  lapping 
of  the  strips  is  made  on  the  material,  and 
this  lap  should  be  observed.  The  cost  of 
the  cement  and  nails  necessary  to  the 
work  is  included  in  the  price  of  the  roofing 
per  roll.  There  are  several  good  tarred 
roofings  on  the  market  at  one  dollar  and 
eighty  cents  or  one  dollar  and  ninety  cents 


The  Roof  31 

per  roll  of  about  one  hundred  square  feet. 
When  buying,  it  is  best  to  select  those 
having  a  fireproof  surface.  Two-ply  felt 
roofing  is  more  economical  than  the  one- 
ply,  as  it  makes  a  much  more  lasting  roof. 
After  three  or  four  years  it  will  require 
repainting,  and  this  must  be  done 
promptly  to  preserve  the  roof.  The  price 
of  the  felt  roofings  varies,  costing  from 
two  to  two  and  one-half  dollars  per  square. 

All  flexible  roofings  must  be  laid  over 
boards  that  are  fitted  closely,  else  they 
will  tend  to  break  over  the  crevices. 

The  galvanized  steel  and  iron  roofing? 
are  the  most  durable  of  all.  The  best 
grade  of  galvanized  iron  costs  from  four 
dollars  and  twenty-five  cents  to  five  dol- 
lars per  square  (100  square  feet),  cover- 
ing the  cost  of  laying,  but  as  it  is  abso- 
lutely fireproof,  lower  insurance  rates  are 
obtainable  on  buildings  where  it  is  used. 


32        Making  a  Poultry  House 

The  galvanized  roof  is  very  warm  in 
summer,  which  in  some  sections  proves  an 
objection.  Tarred  paper  also  is  hot. 

Roofs  of  cedar  or  white  pine  shingles 
outlast  the  pliant  roofings,  and  really  cost 
less  in  the  end.  One  poultryman  who  has 
had  experience  with  metal,  felt,  paper,  and 
shingle  roofing,  prefers  the  last,  claiming 
that  it  serves  him  best  for  least  cost. 

Where  other  buildings  have  just  been 
constructed,  there  may  be  left-over  roofing 
material  of  a  higher  grade,  which  will 
serve  to  cover  the  poultry  house.  Roofing 
tile  and  asbestos  shingles  make  excellent 
roofs,  and  are  very  sightly,  but  their  use 
demands  a  different  treatment  of  the  roof 
framing,  and  an  experienced  workman  to 
make  a  satisfactory  job. 


WALLS,  WINDOWS  AND 
VENTILATION 


an  influx  of  fresh  air  with- 
out  drafts  and  without  too  great 
cooling  of  the  air,  and  you  have  solved  the 
problem  of  ventilation.  To  prevent  an 
undue  fall  of  temperature,  there  must  be, 
in  addition  to  a  fresh-air  supply,  a  con- 
tinuous heat  supply,  and  this  exists  in  the 
fowls  themselves.  This  we  must  plan  to 
conserve.  Admitting  the  fabric-covered 
window  —  now  so  universally  used:  —  to  be 
the  best  solution  of  how  to  admit  fresh  air 
with  the  least  loss  of  heat,  the  accompani- 
ment of  this  is  perfect  tightness  of  the 
windowless  sides. 

As  far  as  materials  are  concerned,  wood, 
brick,  cement  blocks,  or  stone,  are  equally 

33 


34        Making  a  Poultry  House 

satisfactory  if  their  requirements  are  un- 
derstood, and  they  are  used  to  suit  condi- 
tions. Some  poultrymen  object  to  brick 
or  stone,  claiming  that  they  are  damp,  yet 
we  know  that  stone  does  not  create  moist- 
ure. Of  course,  masonry  being  a  better 
conductor  of  heat  than  wood,  moisture  al- 
ready in  the  air  will  condense  upon  stone, 
concrete,  etc.,  when  it  will  not  be  evident 
on  wood.  The  moisture-laden  air,  which 
is  cold  and  unhealthy  for  the  fowls,  must 
be  due  to  a  damp  floor,  poor  ventilation, 
or  some  such  reason.  The  fact  that  a  cer- 
tain concrete  or  stone  wall  is  dry  would 
prove  that  conditions  were  right,  while  the 
wooden  wall  would  show  warning  signs  only 
in  extreme  dampness. 

In  localities  where  stone  abounds,  the 
entire  building  may  be  constructed  of 
stone,  giving  ample  window  room. 

All  buildings  which  are  plastered  or  ce- 


Walls,  Windows  and  Ventilation     35 

mented  in  any  part  of  their  construction 
should  be  allowed  to  dry  thoroughly  be- 
fore the  flock  moves  in. 

As  an  important  aid  to  uniformity  of 
temperature  in  winter,  the  wall  space  filled 
with  confined  air  is  important.  The  ce- 
ment blocks  and  hollow  building  tile  pro- 
vide for  this  to  a  certain  extent.  A 
double  board  wall  may  give  this  result  if 
carefully  constructed.  By  placing  sheath- 
ing paper  under  the  weather  boards,  and 
also  under  the  ceiling  boards,  a  very  satis- 
factory wall  is  possible. 

A  warm  wall  is  made  by  combining  brick 
and  boards — using  weather  boards  out- 
side, brick  within,  and  plaster,  or  ceiling 
boards,  on  the  inner  side. 

A  single  board  wall  can  be  made  com- 
fortable as  winter  quarters  by  covering 
the  outside  with  roofing  paper  and  hav- 
ing it  painted  black.  These  black-painted 


36        Making  a  Poultry  House 

hen  houses  and  coops  are  too  warm  in 
summer,  however. 

The  inside  walls  of  the  hen  house  should 
be  smooth  enough  to  be  kept  clean.  A 
good  wood-filler  in  the  crevices  prevents 
lice  and  mites  from  lodging  there,  but  if, 
when  whitewashing  the  walls,  care  is  taken 
to  work  the  lime  into  the  crevices  with  the 
brush,  and  this  work  is  done  often  enough, 
say  four  times  a  year,  such  pests  would 
be  kept  down. 

Make  it  a  rule  to  have  the  windows  on 
the  light,  sunny  side  of  the  building,  fac- 
ing south  or  southeast,  but  have  none  on 
the  other  three  sides. 

Windows  really  ought  to  be  of  such  a 
size  and  position  that  the  sunlight  can 
reach  every  part  of  the  floor  space  during 
some  part  of  the  day.  Though  we  all  be- 
lieve in  the  benefit  of  sunlight,  we  do  not 
always  realize  how  important  a  part  it 


Walls,  Windows  and  Ventilation     37 

plays  in  the  care  of  poultry.  When  we 
consider  that  vermin  and  disease  thrive  in 
its  absence,  and  that  remedial  measures  are 
more  or  less  troublesome  and  expensive, 
we  will  work  into  our  building  schemes 
every  possible  inlet  for  sunlight. 

The  windows  should  occupy  a  large  part 
of  the  front  wall  area — one-third  of  it,  at 
least,  and  be  evenly  distributed  over  the 
upper  part  of  the  surface.  Movable  win- 
dow sash  or  curtain  frames  are  imperative. 

The  position  of  the  ventilating  arrange- 
ment depends  upon  the  position  of  the 
fowls  at  night.  It  is  a  strange  fact  that 
human  beings,  animals,  and  poultry  can 
better  stand  a  current  of  air  coming  di- 
rectly toward  the  front  of  the  head  than 
from  the  rear  or  sides ;  hence  I  would  place 
the  roosts  so  that  the  fowls  face  the  win- 
dow and  get  the  fresh  air  on  a  level  with 
the  nostrils  rather  than  from  above  or 


38        Making  a  Poultry  House 

below.  Thus  they  are  fortified  against  a 
drop  in  temperature.  For  example,  where 
the  roosts  are  to  be  two  feet  above  the 
floor,  I  would  have  the  windows  about 
twenty  inches  from  the  floor,  provided  the 
roof  is  correspondingly  low.  With  the 
roosts  three  or  four  feet  above  the  floor, 
the  window  should  be  from  thirty-two  to 
forty-four  inches  above  the  floor,  etc.  I 
think  it  is  safe  to  have  the  windows  not 
higher  than  eight  or  twelve  inches  below 
the  eaves,  and  six  inches  from  the  sides 
of  the  building. 

Despite  the  fact  that  some  poultrymen 
have  discarded  glass,  I  cannot  rule  it  out 
altogether.  It  certainly  has  its  uses  on 
cold  wintry  days  when  the  heat  of  the 
sun's  rays  is  wanted  without  the  chill 
wintry  air.  I  believe  these  glass  windows 
should  be  covered  at  night,  and  that  the 
fabric  curtain  is  therefore  the  most  sensi- 


Walls,  Windows  and  Ventilation     39 

ble  mode  of  night  ventilation.  Burlap, 
sacking,  or  coarse  muslin  may  be  used  to 
cover  the  window  frames.  Burlap  is  the 
most  substantial.  In  tacking  it  to  the 
frame,  tacks  with  tin  discs  beneath  the 
head  (like  those  with  roofing  nails)  may  be 
used,  or  a  thin  light  strip  of  wood  may 
bind  the  burlap  to  the  frame,  and  through 
it  the  tacks  are  driven. 

Wherever  glass  is  used,  some  protection 
of  poultry  wire  is  necessary  to  prevent  its 
being  broken. 


THE  DOOR  OF  THE  POULTRY 
HOUSE 

T  T  aids  in  ridding  the  house  of  dust  if, 
when  the  fowls  are  out,  a  searching 
breeze  can  blow  through  occasionally.  For 
this  reason,  end  doors  are  a  great  ad- 
vantage, but  they  must  be  draft-proof. 

The  good  points  of  an  otherwise  well- 
built  poultry  house  may  be  set  at  naught 
by  carelessly  made  doors,  which  fit  loosely 
in  their  casings. 

Doors  which  open  on  the  cold  or  exposed 
side  of  a  building  require  more  precautions 
against  drafts  than  those  on  the  sunny 
side.  The  door  should  be  of  tightly  fitted 
boards,  and  covered  on  the  inner  side  with 
tarred  roofing  paper,  or  thin,  narrow 

boards. 

40 


The  Door  41 

The  following  hints  are  for  a  door  that 
is  practically  draft-proof:  For  the  door 
itself  use  tongue-and-groove  boards,  an 
inch  thick,  reinforced  six  inches  from  the 
top  and  bottom  by  cross-pieces  six  inches 
wide,  and  beneath  the  latch  by  a  rectangle 
of  the  same  wood.  Over  this  is  tacked 
sheathing  paper,  fitting  it  about  the  cross- 
pieces.  The  inner  side  is  finished  with 
narrow  tongue-and-groove  ceiling  boards. 
(These  may  be  placed  over  the  battens  or 
between  them.)  In  case  they  are  to  be 
placed  over  the  battens,  the  open  space  be- 
tween the  two  board  surfaces  is  closed 
with  a  narrow  wooden  strip. 

The  door  casing  is  five  inches  thick,  the 
sill  board  six  inches  wide,  and  slanting  to 
one  inch  lower  on  the  outside  than  on  the 
inside.  On  the  sides  and  across  the  upper 
part  of  the  door  casing  are  nailed  inch- 
thick  strips  which,  with  the  edge  of  the 


42        Making  a  Poultry  House 

casing  against  which  the  door  shuts,  gives 
a  two-inch  edge  which  effectually  excludes 
air  currents.  Against  the  lower  edge  of 
the  door  is  a  heavy  strip  of  felt,  reinforced 
with  leather  where  it  is  tacked  to  the  door. 


NESTS  AND  ROOSTS 

T  71  THEN  we  have  come  to  the  interior 
fittings  of  the  poultry  house,  we 
are  about  ready  for  the  flock  to  move  in, 
and  may  consult  the  peculiarities  of  our 
chosen  breed  to  some  extent. 

In  the  matter  of  nests,  heavier  breeds  of 
fowls  need  them  of  easier  access  than  do 
the  lighter  breeds.  The  latter  class  seem 
to  enjoy  an  ascent  to  their  nests,  and  it  is 
as  well  to  favor  them. 

The  nests  may  be  around  the  sides  of 
the  building,  beneath  the  roosts  and  drop- 
board,  or  in  any  convenient  place,  and 
there  should  be  as  many  as  there  is  room 
for.  Nests  that  are  scattered  about  and 
possess  some  distinctive  characteristics 

seem  to  make  a  greater  appeal  to   some 
43 


44        Making  a  Poultry  House 

fowls.  Nests  in  tiers  of  three  or  in  blocks 
of  three  seem  to  be  readily  identified  by 
the  hens  if  the  different  sets  of  nests  are 
differently  placed,  but  a  row  of  half  a 
dozen  nests  exactly  alike  is  confusing  to 
the  average  hen. 

•When  space  is  at  a  premium,  the  nests 
should  stand  beneath  the  roosts,  protected 
by  a  wooden  drop-board — smooth  to  be 
vermin-proof  and  removable  to  be  sani- 
tary. A  hinged  board  serves  to  darken 
the  nest  and  at  the  same  time  can  be  held 
up  by  a  hook  when  so  desired.  For  clean- 
liness the  nest  should  be  made  of  wood 
and  treated  with  some  vermin  preventive 
which  should  be  washed  well  into  all  crev- 
ices. If  the  nest  is  raised  four  or  five 
inches  from  the  floor  and  built  with  a  por- 
ous bottom,  it  is  more  easily  kept  dry.  The 
compartments  should  be  separated  to  pre- 
vent interference  between  layers.  Each 


Nests  and  Roosts  45 

of  these  should  be,  as  a  rule,  16  x  IS  x  14 
inches,  although  I  am  now  using  nests 
13%  in.  long  by  10%  in»  wide  and  12  in. 
high.  In  order  to  be  lifted  for  cleaning 
some  light  material  must  be  used.  A  con- 
venient arrangement  is  a  long,  narrow  box, 
fitting  the  available  space,  divided  by  par- 
titions into  individual  nests.  Wire  net- 
ting makes  a  very  good  bottom  for  this 
type  of  nest.  I  like  either  this  or  the  slat 
bottom,  through  which  the  dust  and  worn 
nest  material  sift  and  the  air  circulates. 
Of  course,  such  a  nest  should  be  supported 
on  brackets  or  suspended  so  that  the  air 
can  penetrate  its  parts.  Grocer's  boxes 
may  be  converted  into  good  nests  by  re- 
moving the  bottom  and  tacking  smooth 
slats  across,  with  one  and  one-half  inches 
of  space  between  each.  Inch-meshed 
poultry  wire  may  be  used  if  one  is  going 
to  use  the  wire  netting.  A  coat  of  paint 


46       Making  a  Poultry  House 

gives  a  more  sanitary  surface,  but  if  this 
is  not  practicable,  the  wood  should  be 
planed  as  smooth  as  possible  and  white- 
washed. 

Concealment  is  usually  favorable  to  the 
use  of  the  nests,  and  if  the  apartment  is 
light  and  sunny,  a  board  screen  may  be 
used  to  secure  this,  or  the  nest  entrance 
may  be  turned  away  from  the  light.  I  am 
using  curtains  of  sacking  with  marked  in- 
crease of  popularity  among  my  fowls. 
Nests  which  were  persistently  shunned  are 
now  constantly  used  since  thus  darkened. 
The  sacking  may  be  hung  from  a  wooden 
strip  placed  in  front  of  the  nests.  It  gets 
dusty,  but  if  one  is  provided  with  two  or 
three  such  curtains,  the  soiled  ones  may 
be  hung  outdoors  in  the  wind  and  rain  for 
cleansing. 

The  trap  nest  is  as  useful  to  the  small 
poultryman  as  to  the  man  who  runs  a 


Alfalfa  in  the  run  under  netting,  through  which 
the  hens  may  pick 


Even  with  the  small  flock  the  trap  nest  should 
be  used— there  is  no  use  feeding  non-producers 


Nests  and  Roosts  47 

large  poultry  plant.  It  is  so  arranged 
that  each  laying  hen  and  her  product  may 
be  identified.  A  trap  nest  may  be  im- 
provised from  a  box  of  suitable  size.  Cut 
out  entrance  and  exit  in  opposite  sides, 
and  in  each  suspend  a  door  so  that  it  will 
swing  at  a  pressure  of  the  fowl's  head. 
The  entrance  door  swings  inward  only — 
the  exit  door  swings  outward.  After  the 
egg  is  laid,  the  hen  passes  through  the  exit 
into  a  small  in  closure,  from  which  she  is 
liberated  after  her  achievement  has  been 
recorded. 

Where  rational  methods  are  used  in 
nest  construction,  it  is  hardly  necessary 
to  use  nest-eggs  to  secure  the  fowl's  pat- 
ronage of  the  nests.  Where  they  are  used, 
however,  those  of  dull  finish  are  prefer- 
able to  the  smooth  glass  ones. 

Hens  want  a  roost  that  they  can  clasp 
with  their  toes.  It  should  be  broad 


48        Making  a  Poultry  House 

enough  to  support  the  bird's  weight  upon 
the  ball  of  the  foot  and  thin  enough  to  al- 
low the  toes  to  curl  under.  This  act  is  a 
reflex  one  and  as  much  a  part  of  their 
slumber  as  scratching  is  a  part  of  their 
waking  activities.  This  power  of  clasping 
the  perch  seems  to  belong  to  birds  in  vig- 
orous conditions.  Ailing  birds  that  can- 
not roost  seldom  have  enough  vitality  to 
recover. 

Roosts  two  and  one-quarter  inches  wide 
and  not  more  than  an  inch  thick,  with 
slightly  rounded  edges  favoring  the  curl 
of  the  toes,  are  satisfactory.  They  may 
be  arranged  horizontally,  or  slightly  in- 
clined, ladder  fashion.  Light  poles  cut 
from  young  saplings  make  suitable  roosts, 
if  scraped  clean  of  bark  and  shaved  to 
flatten  them  slightly  on  the  upper  side. 
Horizontal  roosts  may  be  placed  about 
one  foot  apart,  and  not  more  than  three 


Nests  and  Roosts  49 

lying  parallel,  or  the  fowls  roosting  on  the 
rear  perch  do  not  get  enough  air.  I 
prefer  them  slightly  inclined,  ladder 
fashion,  at  an  angle  of  nearly  thirty  de- 
grees, the  lowest  perch  not  lower  than 
three  feet  from  the  floor,  and  not  more 
than  three  perches  parallel.  Where  the 
fabric  curtain  is  used,  all  get  the  benefit 
of  the  fresh  air  coming  through  the  can- 
vas curtain. 


THE  RUN 

fin  HE  runs  are  essentially  a  part  of  the 
problem  of  housing.  Fowls  need 
plenty  of  exercise,  yet  they  are  entirely 
too  meddlesome  to  be  given  full  liberty 
where  one  has  a  garden,  a  good  lawn,  and 
flowers.  While  hens  may  be  kept  in  build- 
ings and,  with  proper  care,  still  retain 
their  health,  the  average  owner  of  a  small 
flock  can  keep  the  birds  more  economically 
if  he  gives  them  the  natural  advantages 
of  outdoor  exercise. 

The  most  useful  run  is  the  divided  pen, 
each  section  to  be  used  alternately. 

For  the  active-laying  breeds,  three  runs, 
about  ten  by  forty  feet,  to  be  used  al- 
ternately by  the  flock  of  forty  hens,  are 

advisable.     Where  two  are  used  the   di- 

50 


The  Run  51 

mensions  should  be  greater — say  ten  by 
sixty. 

A  yard  inclosure  for  large  birds  requires 
two-inch  meshed  poultry  wire,  five  and  one- 
half  or  six  feet  in  width,  supported  by 
posts  set  nine  or  ten  feet  apart.  The  wire 
is  attached  to  the  posts  by  staples  about 
four  inches  apart.  A  wooden  strip  or  any 
other  finish  along  the  top  of  the  fence  is 
an  objection.  The  lower  edge  of  the  wire 
requires  a  board  or  strip  to  which  it  is 
tacked.  Boards  six  inches  wide  may  be 
used  for  this. 


SOME  HINTS  ON  UPKEEP 

rilHE  poultry  house,  no  matter  how 
A  carefully  built,  is  not  a  fit  place  for 
poultry,  if  it  is  neglected.  Cobwebs 
draped  across  the  corners  hold  dust  and 
disease  germs.  Neglected  perches  become 
mite-infested  and  are  thereafter  a  menace 
to  the  health  of  the  poultry.  Grooves  and 
crevices  in  walls  harbor  mites,  lice,  and 
disease.  Burlap  curtains  that  become 
dusty  do  not  readily  admit  pure  air,  or  else 
convey  a  cloud  of  dust  directly  back  to  the 
fowls.  Floors  that  are  covered  with  an 
accumulation  of  dirt  become  damp  and 
cold,  aside  from  the  danger  of  contamina- 
tion. 

Window  panes  that  are  cloudy  with  dirt 

do  not  admit  sunlight  properly. 
52 


Some 

The  proper  care  of  the  poultry  house 
means  work,  and  the  place  seems  hope- 
lessly unlovely  when  the  task  has  been  ig- 
nored from  day  to  day,  and  one's  sins  of 
omission  are  seen  in  the  aggregate.  The 
proper  way  to  perform  such  work  is  daily, 
when  but  a  few  minutes  will  serve  to  keep 
the  building  sanitary. 

The  litter  of  straw  should  be  changed 
frequently,  say,  every  third  day — the  floor 
swept  and  fresh  litter  spread  upon  it. 

The  droppings  should  be  removed  daily. 
A  little  fine  dry  sand  acts  as  an  absorbent 
if  sprinkled  over  the  cleaned  surface. 

Walls  should  be  swept  down  once  a  week, 
giving  attention  to  corners,  under  and  be- 
hind nests,  perches,  etc.  For  this  purpose 
a  splint  broom,  such  as  is  used  around 
stables,  is  most  useful. 

For  thorough  cleansing  after  all  loose 
dirt  has  been  swept  away  nothing  is  su- 


54       Making  a  Poultry  House 

perior  to  whitewashing.  It  makes  the 
room  lighter,  sweetens  the  air,  and  is  a 
"  cold  shoulder  "  to  all  vermin.  A  sprin- 
kling of  dilute  carbolic  acid  is  a  safeguard 
against  disease.  Perches  are  best  cleaned 
by  washing  with  some  liquid  insecticide, 
and  then  allowing  them  to  dry  in  the  sun. 
A  good  wash  is  made  by  dissolving  half  a 
cake  of  any  laundry  soap  in  ten  quarts  of 
water  and  adding  five  tablespoonfuls  of 
kerosene  oil. 


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